WASHINGTON, April 3 -- US President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday after months of strained relations and named his former personal lawyer to serve as the acting chief of the Justice Department.

The move, which the Republican president announced in a social media post, comes amid criticism of Bondi's handling of the Epstein files and her failure to successfully prosecute several perceived Trump political foes.

"Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year," Trump said on Truth Social. "Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country."

Bondi "will be transitioning to a much needed and important n...